The Bears Are Here!

Oh, so close.  Yes, I thought I was going to finally get to see a live polar bear!  I was in the community of Arviat which is the most southernly community in the Kivalliq region and situated directly on the shores of the Hudson Bay.  There were daily reportings of the polar beasts on the local radio.  The radio serves as the main means of alerting people to the imminent danger posed by these large carnivores. 

At midnight, a call went out that there was a massive male bear at the town dump.  When standing on his back legs, he was estimated to be 14 feet tall! Even the locals said this was huge.  The whole town headed out to the dump to see this massive creature.  Sure enough, he was there.  Safely in their trucks, many locals were able to get within 50 feet of the giant beast.  The bear seemed disinterested in the humans, more content on scrummaging for food.

The next morning, we heard the story.  "Ahh", I said.  "Call me if that happens again. Anytime of the day or night. I'll go!"  Sure enough, the next morning the local radio was announcing there was another bear in town, this time at one of the playgrounds on the edge of town. My host quickly found me and off we went!  I was going to see my first live polar bear! 

We drove around, trying to locate the bear.  My host said the bear must be gone because the dogs were not barking. Usually, when there is a bear close by, they start barking frantically.  The dogs are often a better forewarning than the conservation officers, who drive around the community constantly looking for bears.  In Arviat, because they have such a problem with bears coming into town, they have hired a person who drives around all night, armed and looking for the bears.  He's only employed during the months the bears are a problem, which is the time before the sea ice is solid. 

Nunavut has more polar bears than any other jurisdiction in the world.  Recent estimates put the bear population at about 17,000, many of which are in the Hudson Bay region. When the bears venture into town, they are looking for food.  One of the easiest places to find food is where people have piled whale remnants and other food they use to feed their dogs.  For a desperate and hungry bear, coming inland for food is one solution, but it can have deadly consequences.

My host suggested we take a drive down to the dump because the bear might have made his way down there.  Other people must have thought we had sighted him, because as we drove to the dump, we had a massive convoy of trucks following us!  Even in a community where bears are so prevalent, people still drop everything they are doing to see one.  I asked a local why this was so, and she said it is because these magnificent creatures are so revered in the Inuit culture.

With my binoculars in hand, I was ready to see my first polar bear in its native habitat! My host suggested I stay in the truck.  My co-worker who was with me suggested we get out, but not venture too far.  I thought that sounded like a good plan.  "Be careful," our host said.  "I don't have bear poppers or a shotgun.  Stay within sight of the truck. Don't do anything stupid!"

With those words and my heart beating rapidly, we got out of the truck. To the left was a short rise that was blocking our view of the area beyond it. My co-worker suggested we climb that rise, so we'd have a better view of the whole area.  That sounded like a great idea, as long as the bear wasn't on the other side of the rise!  Our host was shaking her head.  "Be careful," she repeated.  I wonder if what she really wanted to say to us "southerners"  was that this isn't a zoo, this is the wild, and people really can get hurt. 

As others started to get out of their vehicles we decided it was okay to climb the rise. If there was a polar bear there, surely with 10 or 15 choices for lunch, our odds of getting back to the vehicle were rising!  Just kidding, of course, but having more numbers did make it seem more safe.  I wonder if other unseasoned rookies had ever used that same reasoning and later regretted it...

As it turned out, the bear was no where in site.  What a disappointment.  I didn't want to give up.  He must be here somewhere. But once we heard a bear popper go off on the other side of town, we realized that our bear must be on the move again.  We'd have to wait until another report on the radio to find his location and start our journey again.

Unfortunately, no more sightings were made in the town or at the dump before I had to leave the next day.  However, the following week, we heard that a bear had made his way into town, and as often happens, with deadly consequences.  The owners of a house on "polar bear central" (that's what the locals refer to this part of their town as) was awakened by their sled dogs' frantic barking.  The owner rushed out to find the bear had killed one of his dogs.  He fired a warning shot at the bear but it would not back down, and was going after another dog.  The owner shot and killed the bear, a mother bear that likely had cubs.

Female polar bears have their cubs in November and December. As newborns, polar bear cubs are blind and only weigh about 600 grams, making them very vulnerable. They rely on touch, warmth and on their mother's milk to get the antibodies they need to fight disease and develop normally.

In the wild, the survival rate of polar bear cubs is not high. When faced with stressful factors such as not being able to hunt seal pups due to soft ice conditions, male polar bears will often eat their young. As experts say, it's an easy meal.


For this reason, the female bear will usually stay clear of their male counterparts, traveling inland for grasses, berries and remains from human hunting. This is what often brings female bears into communities like Arviat.  And while locals try not to kill female bears, in this situation there was no choice.  When female bears are killed, the communities' hunting quota for the following year is reduced by a 2 to 1 ration.

Nunavut has more polar bears than any other jurisdiction in the world.  Recent estimates put the bear population at about 17,000, many of which are in the Hudson Bay region. This current year the quota for this region is 21 bears.  Most of those bears will be harvested on the ice by local Inuit hunters, but some will be killed in the community.  Some will also be killed by sport hunters from the south who are willing to pay $20,000 to participate in a traditional polar bear hunt.

While polar bears usually live off their stored fat during ice-free times, the warming of the Arctic waters has extended the time bears are without seals, their main source of food.  With hundreds of bears unable to get to their traditional hunting grounds on the sea ice, the unintended killing of polar bears will continue in communities like Arviat.

In Churchill, Manitoba which is just south of Arviat, they have a "polar bear jail" where problem bears are kept until they can be safely returned to the ice flows. In Nunavut, this opportunity doesn't exist.  However, polar bear fences are being considered in high contact regions, and there is hope this will be a win-win solution for both the communities and the polar bears.

The picture below is taken from a local newspaper and shows a magnificent and healthy looking bear in our region. Hopefully, there are many more like him and, sooner or later, I'll get to snap his picture myself!

Until next time...

A Mighty Blow!

I thought I had seen the best that Mother Nature can do when it comes to blizzards.  Wrong!  This past week Baker Lake experienced one of the worst blizzards in decades!  The blizzard started on Monday and finally tapered off Thursday morning.  Environment Canada advised extreme caution, calling it a "prolonged blizzard event"!  The winds gusted to 120km an hour, the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane.  That, coupled with blowing snow, produced zero visibility conditions. As you'll see later in this blog, being out in zero visibility conditions in a blizzard is no fun.  In fact, it can be deadly.

The blizzard was forecast to start Monday morning. As staff arrived that morning, they were eagerly checking the windows, watching for signs that the blizzard was starting. People commented that everything outside appeared calm, maybe too calm.  It was an eerie silence that was soon to end. By 10am, the winds shifted to the northeast and snow started accumulating on the windows, one of the first signs of a pending blizzard. "It's coming," people were saying, still glued to the windows.  With unexpected speed that even the locals were shocked by, within 15 minutes we were in the middle of one of the largest and most potentially deadly blizzards of the decade.

Schools and offices in Baker Lake scrambled to get children and adults home.  Our office closed right away. I offered to drive four of my co-workers home. As we got into the vehicle, it became apparent that getting people home was going to be an adventure.  If you can imagine driving a vehicle with a white blanket thrown over your windshield, that is what it was like! We rolled down the windows, sticking our heads out, front and back, as we all tried to figure out where the roads were and which way was home!

We decided to drive down the main street.  In other blizzards I had experienced, you could at least see the telephone poles and could use those to help you navigate.  Not so with this massive storm.  We crawled along at 5km an hour.  I was constantly calling out, "What do you see on your side?", "Are we in the middle of the road?"  My four passengers would call back to me, "more to the left", "more to the right".  When nobody responded, I knew that none of us had a clue where we were!

And that became painfully obvious as we ended up axle deep in snow in a back alley.  No one could figure out how we could have gotten off the main road!  One of my co-workers jumped out and walking along the side of the vehicle, directed us back to the main street.  As we came closer to his house, he climbed through waist deep snow to get to his house, snow that had not been there 30 minutes earlier.  The blizzard was definitely in full force!

As I dropped off my final passengers, my co-workers insisted that one of them stay in the vehicle and drive home with me to make sure I would be safe. He would then walk to his place and we'd call each other to make sure we both got home safely.  Until you've been in a blizzard of this magnitude, this type of precaution might seem overdone.  It was not, and I believe it could have been deadly for people trapped out in that weather.  The only saving grace was a moderate windchill, only about -20C.  It could have been much worse.

I heard a story from a man who started walking home from his office that morning just as the storm was starting to unleash her fury.  He said it would normally take him five minutes to walk to his apartment.  It took his co-worker and himself 30 minutes to do so, and much of that time they were on their hands and knees.  The drifts, the blowing snow and the zero-visibility were too much for them to handle.  He said they tried to follow the telephone wires so they would know if they were still on the road, but even this was a challenge, as they were only able to catch occasional glimpses.  He said in retrospect, they were fools to try to walk home.  They should have stayed at work, even if it meant being stranded there for three days.  Quite a statement from a man who has lived in Nunavut for 10 years and has experienced many storms.

Thankfully, the blizzard died down early Thursday morning, however, Mother Nature had one more surprise in store for us.  The metal roof of our office building had been a victim of the storm!  The winds caught one corner of the roof, crumpling it over like the cover of a sardine can.  The windblown roof also took out the chimney, bending it over like a matchstick.  Needless to say, we weren't going to return to work on Thursday.  I've included a picture of our roof below.  Quite a sight.  If it wasn't so cold, I would have thought we were in the tropics, viewing the aftermath of a tropical storm!  Oh well, we'll chock this up to "the best blizzard yet" and a true test of the resiliency of the people, including me, who choose to make Canada's Arctic their home!  Until next time...

My Tribute

Welcome back to my Nanook of the North blog.  It's been quite a few months since I've blogged and you may be wondering if the wolves got me!  Well, the quick answer is no, I am still very much safe and sound in Nunavut!

I took a break from the blog after my dear father passed away this summer. I didn't intend to stop, but I guess I lost a bit of the joy of life with his sudden passing. As much as we all know that our parents are going to pass some time during our lives, one is never really prepared for the great loss we feel when it happens.

In some small way, my blogging about life in Canada's Arctic was a tribute to my father.  He wasn't able to travel, but always sought out opportunities to learn about places he wouldn't have the opportunity to go to himself.  He passed that love of life and adventure on to me, always encouraging me to venture out, meet new people and experience all that life had to offer. 

During the last time I spent with my dad, we poured over maps of the Arctic, looking at its topography and talking about the places I'd been and the many adventures I'd had.  He loved hearing about my adventures and I loved sharing them with him.  I remember him with a big smile on his face, telling me to be careful and not pet the polar bears.  My dad had a great sense of humour and this was his light-hearted tribute to my love of animals and my immense enthusiasm for seeing a live polar bear!

As I return to my Nanook blog, I do so with my dad close to my heart. I hope that the Arctic adventures I"ll share will continue to bring joy, not only to my family and friends who are following it, but also pay tribute to my father's passion for life and adventure.  And, when I finally get to see that polar bear, I'll keep his last words of wisdom close at hand!  

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”  Albert Einstein

 

 

The Animals Are Stirring!

Welcome back to my blog! Since my last email, we've experienced a bit of melting in Baker, but not to the extent that I expected. The streets are just now starting to replace the well-worn snow tracks with squishy red mud. However, with the sun now rising at 3am and setting after 11pm,it will only be a matter of time before the snow is gone off the land. The massive lake that borders the town and its namesake, Baker Lake, will not be clear of ice until well into July or August.

With the change in weather and the long days of daylight, the locals are getting ansy to get out on the land. I sat with a local at a recent farewell feast for a local southerner who was returning home to Newfoundland after many successful years in the North. The local was very excitedly telling me about catching his first grizzly bear during the previous week. I asked him what he planned to do with it and he said he wasn't sure but hoped to get a good pelt out of it. If the quality wouldn't allow him to keep the head, he hoped to harvest some teeth. I asked about the grizzly's claws. He said if he couldn't keep them with the pelt, he'd give them away. I'm hoping he remembers our conversation and offers one to me!


I was surprised to learn that grizzlies are so abundant in this part of Nunavut. This past week, someone past on a warning to us to not venture outside of town without protection, because a grizzly was on the prowl just outside of town. I have definitely listened to that advice!

On a trip around town this past week, there were at least 3 homes that had grizzlies (not alive!)outside in their yards. I took a picture of one of them and it is included with this blog. Unfortunately, you can't see his head very well as it is tucked under.

The other pictures I took while walking around town were of a muskox, two arctic wolves, an arctic hare (a live one)and a herd of caribou. It was the closest I'd even been to a muskox, and I can tell you it looks scary, even when it's only the head! I didn't want to touch it... I guess the spooky stories told by the locals of animal spirits was front and centre in my mind! The arctic wolves look majestic, even if only from a distance. I've included that picture in my blog as well.

The other picture is of an Arctic Hare that seemed quite curious about what I was doing. According to the locals, he was not a large hare, however, I think he could take down a small child! Unfortunately, my picture of the caribou herd didn't turn out very well. The herd, about 15 or so, was grazing in the field close to my house, just behind the sled dogs. Two other herds have been spotted close to town and creating excitement for the locals.

I asked a local about what parts of the caribou they would harvest and they went into great detail about the stomach, tongue and other parts that surprised me. Probably the most surprising were the delicacies: the brains (supposedly they taste better than yogurt (!)), and the eye balls. If offered, I have already decided to pass. Sorry, I just don't have it in me to try either of those!

I am off for a month, one week in Iqaluit, two weeks in the south visiting family, and one week in Kugluktuk (in the western Arctic, formerly called Coppermine). By the time I return to Baker, I'm hoping the snow is all gone, the roads have dried up, and I can try my hand at fishing for Arctic Char or the massive lake trout that lurks in the many lakes around Baker. Until then, have a great spring!!

A Whale of a Story!

Happy May! I've just returned to Baker after being on duty travel for 11 days. It was nice to get back home. I spent the first four days in Toronto at a provincial-territorial meeting. It was a great opportunity to meet counterparts from other provinces. And, unbelievably, I met someone at the meetings that I went to university with and hadn't seen for 30 years! How special that was!

While in Toronto, I stayed right on the waterfront and spent every free moment walking the boardwalk and taking in the sites and sounds of the waterfront, boats, birds and spring. I wanted to roll in the green grass, like my dog used to do, but thought that might attract too much attention! I guess my long days of winter are finally getting to me!

I left Toronto and flew to Iqaluit for 7 days of meetings. Needless to say, the green grass wasn't anywhere to be seen in Iqaluit. Spring is definitely on the way, but it is a few weeks away yet. Likewise for Baker. We still have snow everywhere, however, the long days of sunlight (the sun is rising at 4am now, and getting about 6 minutes a day earlier each day) will start the melting soon. I'm told that if the snow melts rapidly, it will be quite a mess. Baker Lake is built on a hill, with the main roads at the bottom of the hill, beside the lake. The runoff can be dramatic. I've got a pair of new rubber boots and expect I'll get great use of them soon. Red mud, water, it's all coming soon!

I am starting to see notices posted regarding wildlife and fishing tags that are available for locals. Muskox, for example, are a controlled species in most ares of Nunavut, with a lottery among locals for the right to get a tag. This reminded me of my visit to Repulse Bay earlier in the year and the story I was told about their recent whale hunt. My blog pictures are of the Repulse whale hunt this past fall.

Modern whale hunting goes back to the 1800s, mainly by Americans and Scottish whaling ships. The Inuit helped the foreigners hunt and render the whales, getting guns and ammunition and other technologies in return. The foreigners introduced round dancing (for runner of square dancing?) which is still popular today and what I witnessed first hand a couple of months ago in Iqaluit! Unfortunately, the foreigners also introduced diseases that the Inuit had no protection for, causing a lot of death and hardship.

Interestly, it is thought that the orignal inhabitants of Nunavut, the Thule, arrived in the 1200s, chasing whales and finally settling on Nunavut as their home. Today, whale hunting continues to be important, with the Inuit hunting beluga, narwhal and bowhead whales.

Bowhead whales are a protected (endangered) species in Canada and most places in the world. They are immense, the size of a school bus! Communities are allowed to hunt the bowhead if they have received special permission from the federal fisheries office. Because of this, the year that a community receives a license to catch and harvest a bowhead whale accompanies a great celebration. To underscore how special the event was in Repulse, only five bowhead whales have been harvested in Nunavut since 1991 when the Canadian government established strict limits.

In Repulse, the harvest began with a gathering of people at the shore and a spiritual send-off to Inuit locals who would hunt the whale. The Inuit believe that there is an entity greater than themselves who provides for all living things. This send-off was a blessing not only to the hunters, but also to the whale whose life would be sacrificed for the betterment of the community.

Some communities use traditional means like the harpoon on these spiritual quests. Others use more modern means like rifles. I'm not sure which method was used in Repulse. The Inuit used an open boat called a umiaq. At one time, they would use sealskin kayaks, but that isn't the case today.

The whale hunt is a very important source of protein for the locals. Without it, they would need to rely on southern food at their local stores (very expensive) or other country food like the caribou. Based solely on the size of the whale versus the caribou, the Inuit believe they would deplete the caribou herds if they didn't have access to whale meat on a regular basis. The Inuit often say they hunt the whale, not for sport, but for food.

Once the Repulse hunters killed the whale, they towed it into shore where the spiritual blessing was repeated. The locals then went about harvesting the whale. Every part of the whale was used, with the blubber, skin and whale meat being very prized. Once distributed among local residents, extras are shared with other communities.

I've included pictures of the hunt with this blog. And, while much controversy surrounds the right of Inuit to hunt a rapidly depleting species like the bowhead whale, I understand the context of the Inuit and their beliefs. I hope you enjoyed this blog and its insight into Inuit culture.

Until next time, enjoy!

Big City Issues

Happy Easter! I hope the Easter Bunny found you. He certainly found me, even way up here in Nunavut and with winter still firmly holding on. I guess even the Easter Bunny is resilient!

I've been busy at work and also struggling through frustratingly slow internet service. The speed seems to be picking up lately so I'll take advantage of that and update you on my latest adventures.

As you'll recall, I was in Iqaluit recently for meetings. It was the second time I've been to Iqaluit but the first time that I had some time to explore the city. Iqaluit is the largest community in Nunavut with a population of around 7000. It is significantly larger than any other community in Nunavut. The next 3 largest communities in Nunavut do not have the combined population of Iqaluit so it is considered the "big city" of the territory.

While I enjoyed my visit to Iqaluit, spending time in the city encouraged me to dig a bit deeper to understand its history and also its challenges. My impressions of the city was that it has the feel of a government town, with many federal and territorial departments and buildings standing admist its hotels and restaurants. Like all Nunavut towns, the choice of restaurants was somewhat limited and very pricey. However, I did have a great "Polish buffet" in one of the restaurants. I think I ate so much, they should have charged me double! In fact, I know that I was enjoying "pigging out" because one of the buffet waiters brought me a dessert and said "You haven't tried this one yet!". I thought that was so funny. I guess the big smile on my face must have showed how much I was enjoying this unique sampling of food!

With this blog, I've included some pictures from inside the Nunavut legislature. It is a beautiful building with many local artifacts gracing its interior. You will see in one of the pictures an antler carving that was done by a high school student. It is in the lobby of the legislature. Its intricate detail is amazing and representative of the many wonderful artisans in Nunavut.

Not to put a damper on this blog or my trip to Iqaluit, but I would be remiss if I didn't talk about some of the issues it faces, especially given that it's the only large city in Nunavut and suffers from many "big city" issues. Some of those issues are overcrowding and crime.

Since it became the capital of Nunavut in 1999, Iqaluit's population has doubled. In fact, the rapid growth of population across Nunavut is a problem, not only in the capital city but across its 28 communities. Nunavut currently has Canada's highest birth rate, with single young females significantly adding to this number. The high birth rate has added to immense overcrowding issues, with multiple families often sharing a single dwelling that is run down and sometimes barely inhabitable.

I have heard many stories of families where the chidren sleep on the floor of the living room because the bedrooms and couches are already overcrowded with adults from multiple families living in the house. The Nunavut Housing Authority recently overspent its annual budget by 100 percent (100 Million over budget). The saddest part of that story is that many believe that the money was not spent improving housing but squandered in questionable deals. Whether that is true or not, overcrowding issues are immense and not likely to go away soon. Compounding the issue is that Nunavut doesn't have natural resources (trees, for example) or industry capable of producing housing materials, so it has to import all materials from the south by barge or Hercules type aircraft, all extremely expensive.

Another issue that is alarming locals and southerners alike, is violence. The rate of violent crime per capita in Nunavut is 7 times what it is in the rest of Canada. The homicide rate is around 1,000 per cent of the Canadian average. If it were an independent country, Nunavut's crime statistics would rival that of South Africa or Mexico. While I was in Iqaluit, I did not go out at night, so I don't know if visitors to the city would feel threatened or intimidated by the reported violence and alcohol abuse.

When you discuss crime stats with people, they are quick to point out that the violence is not directed at "southerners". It is directed often at family members or locals and is often fueled by alcohol abuse. I have read that the Iqaluit RCMP detachment is one of the country's largest, and also busiest. The article also stated that RCMP officers in Iqaluit draw their guns more often in a week, than some southern mounties do in a career. Iqaluit's main jail, built to house 50 inmates, is reported to often have double that amount. Another overcrowding issue that is not going to go away anytime soon.

Perhaps one of the most troubling statistics and one that has reached the floor of the territorial legislature, is the issue of suicide. Often not talked about, the statistics are alarming: Inuit males aged 15 to 24 have a suicide rate 40 times that of their peers in the rest of Canada. During the 3 months I have been here, I have heard of 3 suicides. Given that I know few people and the reluctance to talk about suicide in communities, that statistic supports the belief that the problem is widespread and pervasive in Nunavut. The good news is that the gov't strongly supports making the issue more public and providing more support for those whose lives have been touched by the devasting affects of suicide.

In two weeks, I'll be back in Iqaluit for more meetings. During that time, I hope to talk with more locals about their city. I am hopeful to visit some of the galleries where many artisans from across Nunavut take their carvings and other crafts to be displayed and sold. That is the side of Iqaluit I'll be looking for, one that is hopeful and resilient, and demonstrates the unique culture of this territory. And, if I'm lucky, maybe I'll also be lucky enough to experience another "Polish feast"! Until next time!

The Traveller Curse Continues!

Hello again! Well, I have to admit that I mistakenly believed that, once the blizzard season was over, travel within Nunavut would be relatively straight forward -- you know, you book a flight, the plane arrives on time, you leave on time, etc., etc. Well, I can tell you with absolute certainty, fog in Nunavut can be just as big a headache as snow.

Last Monday I travelled to Iqaluit for meetings. The trip over was straightforward, but the leg home was not. When I arrived at the Iqaluit airport on Friday afternoon, the departures board indicated that my flight might not be able to land in Rankin, which was my transfer point. I thought, oh, isn't that interesting. I went to the First Air counter to ask them what happens if we can't land in Rankin. They said, "We'll continue on to Yellowknife and you'll stay the weekend there." Just like that, matter of factly!

In my head, I was thinking that wasn't so bad. Maybe I could hop a flight from Yellowknife to Edmonton and spend the weekend at home. I was all psyched up for the possibility. This was starting to sound like a great plan. But, it wasn't to be. The flight was able to land in Rankin. As I consoled myself that there would be no quick trip home, I prepared to spend the next 5 hours waiting for my flight to Baker.

After watching two movies (a double-bill!) on my computer, I eagerly awaited the call for my flight. I noticed people edging their way towards the windows as the magic hour approached. Hmm, I thought, what's up. I joined them to see what they were looking at. And, to my surprise, a large fog bank was making its way towards the airport. It was like I was looking at a ghost, eerily weaving its way up, then down, then closer to us. The people at the windows started saying "Oh, we're not going to get out tonight." And sure enough, they were right. Within minutes we were engulfed. We could hear an airplane above the airport, most likely our aircraft circling and contemplating a landing. As the sound of the airplane dulled in the distance, it became apparent that I would not make it home Friday night.

Dejectly, I walked up to the counter to ask what happens now. The response, "Come back in 24 hours. We'll try to get you on the Saturday evening flight." Well, add that to my growing list of travelling woes. People back at the office told me that it wouldn't be long before I got the dreaded Traveller Curse. They said it always happens on a Friday, when you've been away for the week and can't wait to get home to your own bed. Sure enough, they were right. I guess I can now proudly add the Traveller's Curse to my resume. I'm 3/3 for the curse, and all in 10 short weeks!

I was able to get a room at a local Bed and Breakfast in Rankin. There are two hotels and 2 B + B's in town. The hotels had some space for the stranded passengers, but I didn't know what I'd do once 11am came and would have to check out. I would still have 9 hours to kill before my flight home. I took my chances that the B + B would be a better choice. Of the two B + B's, one is owned by a man who runs a dog sled tour outfit. Now, normally, you'd think, given my love of dogs, this would be my first choice. But, when I checked it out, I realized that about 60 dogs, in a open air enclosure were directly across from the owner's B + B. A great location for the owner, but maybe not for the guests of the B + B. I understand the dogs tend to bark day and night! I took a picture of the dog pen so you can see some of the dogs. Not much sleeping would happen there!

My other choice was a little further away but promised to be much quieter. Wrong. There was a volleyball tournament in town and a group of young ladies from one of the competing teams were in 2 of the rooms adjacent to my room. And, they had a 10 month old baby with them! Needless to say, the night was interjected with adolescent laughter and baby cries! So much for my careful planning. Oh, well. The hosts were most gracious and allowed me to use my room right up until the time I had to go to the airport. They also provided an evening meal for me that was above and beyond the call of duty! Very nice, indeed.

Thankfully, I was able to make it home on Saturday night. I headed to bed right away and vowed never to let the curse get me again. I'll figure it out, I will! I've included a picture of the sign welcoming people to Rankin Inlet. As I've mentioned before, NHLer Jordan Tootoo is a local hero and admired by young and old. I've also included a picture of a statue outside the local Wolf Cafe in Rankin. Not surprisingly, a big bad wolf is the star attraction there!

In my next blog I'll share my impressions of Iqaluit, Nunavut's capital city. Until then... Have a great one!